AWAITING THE TURKS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2405, 10 March 1915, Page 6

AWAITING THE TURKS

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS AT SUEZ

DEPARTURE FROM ZEITOUN

ENTRENCHED NEAR THECANAL

Writing from the New Zealanders' camp near Cairo on January 31, an Auckland member of the Army Service Corps describes the departure of the New Zealand infantry for the Canal, and the proceedings there just prior to the fight in which a young Nelson soldier was killed.

After weeks of strenuous training and fatiguing route marches over deserts under an Egyptian sun; of subsistence on the unvarying and carefully-calcu-lated soldiers' rations; of frequent sudden departures upon nocturnal pilgrimages to laboriously dig purposeless trenches in the dusty desert; after even having submitted their very bodies for more or less experimental diseasepreventing operations—sometimes with results- highly edifying to the experimenter. but not comforting to the victim—after all these trials and the legion of others which go to make the soldiers' life, and just when they were becoming dissatisfied and dispirited, our infantry in camp here received a nerve tonic -which made them suddenly recover their spirits and become more than ever enthusiastic. _ The. restorative came on the evening of January 26 in the shape of an order to pack up and proceed to the Canal to receive the Turks.'

Rifles were . cleaned with, elaborate care, bayonet's were affectionately sharpened, and everybody bustled enthusiastically about, making every preparation for the departure on the morrow. Buttons were blackened, and everything generally put on a war footing. Men who were sick became miraculously well. In one regiment alone there had been fifty invalid soldiers. When the doctor turned up to administer balm to the suffering ones next morning, ho found the sick parade quite deserted. His late patients were once more variously distributed among. tho ranks of the fit. New Zealandtrs Leave for Canal. All Wednesday morning, January 27, the camp presented a busy appearance, as company after company ot infantry marohed, to the enlivening music of their respective bands, to Helmieh railway station, where they entrained for Train after'train departed laden with accoutrements of war and cheering soldiers. As each train left its occupants were cheered vociferously by the mounted and other less fortunate corps, who -were remaining behind. Everything was carried out smartly, but without a,ny undue appearanc-6 of bustle or confusion, and by the afternoon the last train lia-d departed with its load. The movement proved the efficiency and organisation of our little army, for nothing definite was heard in the ranks of the intended move until about seven o'clock the previous evening. Then the indispensable Army Service .Cqrps became busy, and soon their numerous transport wagons were plying, busily about getting the general .luggage and provisions for . the departing troops'-to tho station. About 15 wagons were told off to visit the Citadel, from whence they returned with nearly a ton and a half each of .303 ammunition, arriving back at three o'clock next morning. Other wagons were at work all night, and by .morning nearly everything was either on the trains or readv for loading'. Then what remained of the camp settled down again to patiently await its turn, while a strange quiet settled over the oppressively deserted infantry quarters.

Reinforcements from New Zealand,

This quiet was broken the following (Thursday) morning by the arrival of the reinforcements from New Zealand, who landed here with the dawn and took possession of the deserted tents. All units in camp are now waiting hopefully for their turn to proceed to' the canal, for nearly air are naturally tired of the colourless camp life. Some' of the A.S.C. men stopped at Tsmailia with the Auckland ajid Canterbury regiments, while we others wint on to El Kubri, where the fouthland, Otago, and Wellington regiments are now stationed. ' Arrived at our destination we found but few signs of a oamp, bo we set' about making ourselves as comfortable as possible. After' an. impromptu meal the g«iird was stationed round our supply depot, which is situabout 700 yards from the canal and is separate from the main oamp, we being between, thenv and. the canal. A Shot In the Night, Just aB everything was beginning. to get quiet we were rather startled by a "rifle shot a few yards away. ''Hie sergeant'of the guard gave the order to charge, and we had to get out'of the way pretty hurriedly' as' tKe guard rushed .eagerly, out, loading as they went. There was'nothing doing, however, and they returned "disappointed. One of the guard had apparently cazed too' long through 'the dark at an aginary enemy, at which he had fired. The guard are taking no chances with these treacherous Turks, and seem determined to get in .with first shot when the. occasion arises. It is not safe to leave the camp after dark, as one funs a very lively chanc® of being.shot by one's own comrades,. like "the' French airman'and his'observer— : who, by the way, was a. Geylon man—-were the other day. ■■■■>' '' ' ■ '' " Bullets Whistling Overhead, About midnight I was awakened by tho fellow sleeping alongside ine, whom we had long ago christened our intelligence bureau, and who was very subject to seeing airships arid things. He was considerably excited, and kept telling me we were being attacked as he' jumped up and donned his ' bulletpouches and seized his rifle. We could hear firing, and bullets occasionally whistled overhead.' We were in' a. hollow, tolerably safe from the bullets, so did not trouble much. The firing increased a little, and was returned from somewhere on our flank., Tie enemy appeared to be somewhere near the canal, on the other side. After two or three . hours the firing ceased. Next morning we were told that the attackers were a party of Dervishes, some hundreds strong, and their fire had been returned by the East Lancashireß. No more firing had occurred when I left, and the infantry are eagerly awaiting the advance of. the enemy. They arc now occupying the trenches on the other side of the canal—looo at a time —and working twenty-four-hour shifts. Water is very scarce, two tanks a day being brought from Suez bv train, which runs quite close to our depot. A shave is, therefore, a luxury, and a wash a rarity. There is a large cnnal of fresh water near at hand, but it lias been medically condemned. A supply man from Ismailin told me that two spies. had been caught there and shot by some of tho Auckland infantry.